Baotou amateur table tennis championship concludes

More than 160 Baotou residents divided into 32 teams took part in the final of the third annual table tennis competition hosted by the sports bureau of Baotou on Dec 16, according to local media.

The championship, which started in April, drew in more than 300 participants with the oldest participant aged over 70 and the youngest being under 20.

Bi Wu, a 63-year-old participant of the championship who has been practicing the sport for more than 20 years, said that he thought highly of the championship and that table tennis challenged both his technique and endurance, while promoting physical fitness.

Table tennis had a relatively late start in Baotou but has seen a resurgence in popularity over the past few years. More than 600 residents registered for table tennis competitions in 2016, twice the number that did so in 2013.

Wang Maoyuan, deputy chairman of Baotou Table Tennis Association, who was one of the organizers of the championship, has seen table tennis events in the city grow in stature and competitiveness. Wang explained that the table tennis association of the city now hosts around 10 table tennis events annually and will continue to expand its reach to other cities and regions in North China to promote the sport. 

Two competitors photographed during a table tennis championship targeting amateurs in Baotou, North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Dec 16 [Photo/Baotou Daily]